Tevak'Semis: The Pilgrimage
by Dr Death DST
Summary: During the events of ME1, a group of quarians on Omega plan to steal a batarian slaver ship for their pilgrimage. This is the first of three stories following the main character, Tevak. If you like quarians then you should like this story.
1. Chapter 1

On the lower floor of Omega's Afterlife, two quarians sat at a table in a dark corner. The dark lighting, smoke, and loud music made it ideal for discussing their plans. Both were on pilgrimage but had decided to work together for a common goal. To steal a batarian slaver ship. Other quarians were on their way help plan their attack.

The leader, Tevak'Semis nar Defranz, toyed with a pistol his father had given him. He was dressed in dark blue garb mixed with a bit of yellow. It was his idea to take the slaver ship and present it to the Flotilla. Turning to his female companion, he asked, "Do you think they ran into trouble?"

"No, I'm sure they're just late," said Shia'Xey nar Rayya. Dressed in all black, she had a quiet mystique about her. A month ago she had run into Tevak in Afterlife. Since then they had been gathering allies. On this unfriendly station, it wasn't hard to convince other quarians to join up.

"Did you hear that the geth attacked a human colony?" asked Tevak making conversation. Through his visor he eyed Shia's body for a second.

"Yeah, I heard on the news vids. Eden Prime, I think it was," answered Shia. "Won't be long before they come after the Flotilla."

"Hopefully soon," said Tevak. Shia was taken back by his answer but she knew what he meant. He had a boyish obsession with war and wanted to fight the geth badly.

A few minutes later two more quarians arrived. One of them they already knew, Qin'Teemba vas Defranze, a childhood friend of Tevak's. His clothing had red and black patterns all over it. He spoke somewhat irritated, "Sorry we're late. Had trouble getting in the front door. Those elcor can be assholes."

"Tell me about it," grinned Tevak.

The other quarian they had not met sat silently staring at Tevak and Shia. He seemed slightly bigger than the rest of them. He wore white garments with some blue. Setting his hands on the table he introduced himself, "I'm Leim'Za vas Omega."

"You actually live here?" asked Shia in disbelief.

"How old are you?" Tevak could tell by Leim's tone that he was definitly older.

Leim sat quietly again as though annoyed by the questions. Gathering his thoughts, he spoke again, "My pilgrimage started ten years ago. After a time I decided to not go back. And yes, I do live here. Now do you want my help or not?"

"Yes, of course. Qin tells me that you can get us weapons," said Tevak. He shifted in his seat unsure if Leim was trustworthy.

"I can but..." Leim continued to stare at Tevak. "I want to come back to the Flotilla."

"Fair enough."

"And... I want to captain the slaver ship when you..."

"No!" Tevak slammed his fist on the table. "It was my idea. The three of us already decided that I would be captain."

"Then you can do it without my help," said Leim crossing his arms.

"Perhaps we can find a compromise," Qin spoke up. "The admiralty board ultimately makes the decision. There's no guarentee either of you can be captain."

Shia interjected, "We can promise you the next highest rank if not captain."

"Fine," muttered Leim. "Meet me at my apartment tonight. Qin knows where it is. I'm going into the market to buy the weapons we need."

After Leim left they sat for a moment. Tevak was the first to speak up, "Where did you find that prick?"

Qin became miffed by Tevak's accusatory tone. "In the lower wards. He's the only one with spare credits to spend. What else are we supposed to do?"

"We can do it without him. There must be another way to make some creds around here," said Tevak looking around the bar. Spotting the asari dancing on the top platform he grinned, "We could have Shia get up there and shake her stuff..."

Shia elbowed Tevak hard in the side. Sarcastically she said, "That would be real fun having all of these filthy aliens clamoring over me."

"Come to think of it. I don't think I've ever seen a quarian stripper..." mentioned Qin looking up at the gyrating asari.

"That's because it would kill us to take off our suits you idiot," huffed Shia. Her feelings for Tevak made her feel threatened by the nude female aliens walking around.

"Alright, let's get moving," said Tevak standing up from the table. "I'm going to scout out the docking bay where the ship is at. The two of you head to Leim's place."

"When will you be back?" asked Shia.

"Sometime tonight. Don't worry about me. Just make sure Leim holds up on his end of the deal." With that, Tevak went off on his own.

A/N: If you like quarians then you should like this tale. I've got three stories planned for this set of characters spanning the entire Mass Effect series. This one takes place during ME1.


	2. Chapter 2

Tevak'Semis walked casually down the streets of Omega. The giant space station was alive with activity. Many species were out bartering with one another. A group of vorcha stood around fighting and fussing with each other. Blue Suns gang members could be seen patrolling the streets and selling red sand. Everyone seemed to regard the lone quarian with a wary eye.

A week earlier Tevak had gone to see an agent of the Shadow Broker. Using the last of his credits, he managed to buy some information on a batarian slaver ship called the Argo. The ship was schedualed to arrive hours ago and stay for a few standard galactic days. The name, time, and docking bay number cost him three thousand credits. Everyone had to pitch in to come up with the money but he assured them it would pay off.

The further away from Afterlife he got; the more chaotic Omega seemed to be. Aria T'Loak controlled the vast majority of the space station but there still wasn't any real governing body. The fringes of Omega were overrun by small time gangs, all competing for superiority. Now and then shots would ring out from a building or alleyway.

"How could anyone live here?" muttered Tevak to himself.

Occasionally Tevak would glance down at the map on his omni-tool to make sure he wasn't lost. The streets of Omega tended to all look the same. Worse yet, he noticed that some of the side streets on his map didn't even exist or were built over. After a hour of walking he found what he was looking for.

At the end of the street, a large cargo bay door sat wide open. In a few languages the number twenty-four was written on the wall next to it. The number the agent had given him. Several batarians walked out of the docking bay carrying assault rifles. They were talking and laughing amongst themselves; appearently off for some R&R. When they passed, Tevak ran over to the bay door and looked inside.

Large crates were stacked around the room haphazardly blocking his view. Undeterred, Tevak snuck inside staying crouched behind the crates. Moving to a clearing, he spotted the Argo. It was a small human-made frigate. The outside was rusty; suggesting that it may have sat in an off-world junk yard. As long as it was space worthy it wouldn't have trouble fitting in the Flotilla.

A few batarians were guarding the ship's open hangar door. They were chain smoking while sitting on some crates. None of the slavers seemed very professional. All of them wore their own equipment and clothing. Perhaps they were an independent group. Tevak whispered to himself, "This should be easy."

"Let go of me!" cried a quarian voice.

Tevak ducked down in a knee-jerk reaction. Taking a look, he saw a female quarian being led out of the Argo. Two batarians had her by the arms which were tied behind her back. One of them punched her in the back of the head, shouting, "Shut up! Or we'll take that mask off and gag you."

Remaining still, Tevak watched them pass by. They went out the cargo bay door into Omega. He followed them knowing he had to do something. What exactly, he didn't know. Keeping a low profile, he let them get twenty yards ahead. When they went down an alleyway he jogged up to the corner and checked their position.

Both batarians had gone in about ten yards. One of them held onto the quarian while the other stopped to take a piss behind a dumpster. Tevak saw his chance realizing they had their backs to him. He tip-toed down the alley towards the one holding the quarian.

An excited, electric feeling filled Tevak when he got close. He had never killed anyone before. Quietly he pulled a six inch serrated blade from his belt. Raising his knife hand into the air; he jammed it into the slaver's neck. Blood spurted and gushed from his throat splattering onto the quarian causing her to shriek.

"What the..." gasped the other batarian still trying to zip himself up.

Tevak pulled his pistol firing several rounds into the batarian's chest. He evidently didn't have a shield as the slugs went right through him. Both slavers dropped to the floor dead. Adrenaline pumped through Tevak's veins as he looked at what he had done. Part of him felt bad because he had snuck up on them. They didn't have a chance. At the same time, he knew they had it coming.

"Are you here to rescue me?" asked the frightened quarian. She was kneeling on the ground looking confused by the situation.

"Yeah, sort of," said Tevak bending down to cut the quarian's hands free, "What's your name?"

"Lan'Molo nar Iktomi. I was on pilgrimage when those... bastards took me." Lan's voice was shaky and on the verge of tears. "What do you mean by sort of?"

"Uh... I mean I didn't plan on rescuing you. I just happened to be here," said Tevak almost chuckling. "I'm Tevak'Semis nar Defranz by the way."

"Nice to meet you," said Lan standing up. She brushed off her yellow clothing which were now stained with the slaver's blood.

Tevak picked up the slavers' weapons, a shotgun and an assault rifle. Next he started going through their pockets looking for credits, thermal clips, or anything of use.

"So you're a thief," said Lan with some disgust. "You killed them for their possessions."

"No, I killed them for you," stated Tevak stuffing his pockets with thermal clips. He tossed a shotgun to Lan and smiled when she nearly dropped it. "Can you handle a weapon?"

"Yeah. I had training on the Flotilla."

"Good, because I'm recruiting you."

"Recruiting me?" Lan felt bewildered. First she thought she was going to be a slave or worse. Seconds later she was being drafted for some scheme.

"I have some friends waiting at a hide out. We're planning on stealing that ship for the Flotilla. If you want to get those guys back..."

"I'm in!" said Lan loading a thermal clip into the shotgun.

"Let's go then." Tevak led Lan back into the heart of Omega.

/

All five quarians met back at Leim's apartment. It was located not far from Afterlife in the Gozu District. The bedroom, living room, and kitchen were actually all one room. Only the bathroom was separate. For five people it was rather cramped. Luckily for them, it wasn't much different than the Flotilla.

When introductions were over, Lan'Molo had only one question, "Do you guys have any food? I haven't eaten in days."

"I have some tubes of paste in the cabinet over there," said Leim pointing to the kitchen area. "They taste like vorcha shit but you won't starve."

"Thanks, that's just what I wanted to think about before eating," grumbled Lan. After grabbing some paste, she hooked the tube up to a device under her visor. This allowed her to eat the paste through a straw inside the mask. "You were right, it does taste like vorcha shit."

"At least there's five of us now," said Qin while taking stock of the weapons and ammo Tevak recovered. However, he kept one eye on the new girl. "So tell us about you Lan."

"There isn't much to tell..." Lan became quiet sensing Qin's attraction. "I've only been on pilgrimage a few weeks."

"How did you get caught?"

"At first I was on a human colony in Citadel space. Then they chased me off, afraid I'd start stealing everything. I can't believe how hostile the other races are toward quarians. People on the Iktomi warned me but I never thought it would be this bad," explained Lan.

"Heh, you haven't seen the worst of it," chuckled Leim.

"Actually I have..." said Lan, her tone turning dark. "I got off world on the first ship I could find. It was a merc band who then turned around and sold me to the slavers we're after now."

"I'm sorry to hear that Lan. At least we'll be able to pay them back soon." Qin sounded sincere. Lan nodded toward Qin in acceptance of his sympathy.

"What were you able to find out?" asked Shia, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Tevak explained, "The Argo is a frigate of human design. It also looks ancient and rusted."

"Does it fly?" scoffed Leim.

"They brought me here in it, didn't they?" countered Lan.

"The slavers don't seem to belong to any of the known gangs," said Tevak sitting down next to Shia. "The two I killed weren't very competent."

"Must be a group of freelancers or an upstart," suggested Shia. "Any idea how many there are?"

"Can't be too many considering it's a frigate," said Tevak. "I saw several going out into Omega. Looked like they were about to enjoy some shore leave. There could be just a skeleton crew on board."

"Lan, do you know anything about their numbers?" asked Qin.

Lan finished eating her paste before realizing everyone was waiting on an answer from her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't see much of the ship. I was locked up in the hangar. Even then, they kept the lights off. I never saw more than ten guards at any one time."

"What if there's thirty of them?" asked Leim. Doubt of their success was heavy in his voice.

"We've come too far to quit now," stated Tevak. He got up and went over to Qin's table asking, "What were you able to buy at the market?"

"Not much," sighed Qin. "We managed to purchase four assault rifles from a Haliat arms dealer. They're the Thunder model."

"These look pretty low-grade but they'll do." Tevak picked one rifle up and aimed it at Leim.

"Be careful you idiot," snapped Leim moving out of the way.

"Relax, I know what I'm doing," laughed Tevak setting the rifle back down.

"When do you think we should attack?" asked Qin directing his question to Tevak.

"We should get some sleep first. If they are out getting drunk and stupid then they'll be hung over in the next day cycle," explained Tevak.

"What makes you so sure?" asked Leim. "And where are all of you going to sleep? Certainly not in _my_ bed."

"On the floor. Where else?" grumbled Shia, more displeased with Leim than the idea of sleeping on the floor.

"Either way we're going into the unknown. Better to be fully rested," reasoned Qin.

"Alright, everyone get some sleep," said Tevak.

A/N: I'm shooting for one chapter a night. I know when ME3 comes out it will be eating up a lot of my time for writing. At least until I beat it several times and see every possible ending. :)


	3. Chapter 3

During the night, Shia woke up when her back started to ache. Laying on the hard concrete floor next to Leim's bed was nearly unbearable. The apartment was very dark save for some light coming from a small window above the bed. Omega's omnious hue of red infiltrated the apartment creating an eerie glow.

A soft noise startled Shia. Looking over at the kitchen area she spotted Tevak sitting at the table cleaning his new rifle. Quietly she got up and walked over to the kitchen table. "Can't sleep?"

Tevak held up one finger to his visor signaling for her to be quiet. He motioned over to Qin and Lan who were sleeping side by side in front of Leim's bed. Judging by the muffled snoring from their visors they weren't having any trouble sleeping at all.

Shia rolled her eyes then took a seat next to Tevak. In a hushed voice she said, "Good to see they're hitting it off."

"Qin always had a knack for women," Tevak quietly chuckled. "They stayed up after lights out for a hour just talking."

"I'm guessing you don't have a knack for women." Shia leaned back folding her arms. There was something about him she felt drawn to. She admired his unwavering determination and personality. In their time together she had been hoping he would want to start a relationship even if it was casual.

"What makes you say that?"

"You've known me for weeks and we've never _just talked_."

"What do you mean? We talk all the time."

Shia became angry speaking a little louder, "Keelah, how thick is that skull of yours?"

"Calm down," grinned Tevak surprised by Shia's outburst.

Realizing she would have to spell it out, Shia asked, "Aren't you attracted to me? Or feel anything towards me?"

"Well..." Tevak froze up. Killing those two batarians felt easier than what Shia was suggesting. He wasn't sure why talking to women was so difficult. Perhaps it was because he never truely grew up. While Qin was chasing after girls, Tevak was busy daydreaming about piloting ships or killing geth.

Shia's heart was pounding. She thought he was about to say no and humiliate her. Before he could answer she put it all out on the line, "I think you're a good man and a great leader. Who else would try to pull something like this off on their pilgrimage? I know you'll get us through tomorrow. Tevak, I want to... _be_ with you."

Tevak sat there stunned. For a while he simply stared back into Shia's eyes unsure of what to do or say. He knew what he felt but didn't know how to express it. In the simplest form of affection he knew of, he took her by the hand holding it. Finally, he was able to utter, "I feel the same."

The words fell a little flat but Shia was happy to at least get that out of him. She gently squeezed his hand and held it tight. Slowly she put her faceplate to his making a soft 'clunk' noise. Being this close they were better able to see each other's face although not in full detail. It was also the closest they would get to a kiss.

"I could probably sleep better if you lay down with me," whispered Shia, tugging at his hand.

"Alright," murmured Tevak. He felt nervous and clammy as she led him back to where she had been sleeping.

In the cramped space between the bed and the wall they laid down together. Tevak was on his back while Shia lay partially on top of him. She brought her leg up across his waist while wrapping her arms around him. This caused Tevak to feel flush, not used to being so close to a woman. He managed to put a nervous hand on her hip while holding her head close to his chest with the other. 'This isn't so bad' he thought.

/

In the early hours of the next day cycle, everyone was awake quietly eating paste in the kitchen. Qin, kept making eyes at his friend Tevak and Shia. He woke up first and found the two of them together. When Tevak finally looked at him, he nodded approvingly.

Leim was in his usual agitated mood. All he really cared about was getting back to the Flotilla. Since going on pilgrimage, he had found many things that would qualify him to come back to a ship. However, he felt simple technology or salvage was below him. If he was to come back, it would have to be for something great. These young simple minded quarians would be his ticket. The Admiralty would surely pick him, the eldest, to be captain over a fool like Tevak.

There was a mutual feeling of dread and excitement among them. The coming fight would define the rest of their lives. If they lived through it of course, or even succeeded. Lan seemed to be the most anxious as she couldn't stop tapping her foot. Qin put a comforting hand on her back but wasn't able to dispell her nervousness.

"When are we going to do this?" asked Leim. "Or are we going to hang out in my apartment all day?"

"Soon," said Tevak harshly. The older quarian's attitude was getting under his skin. Considering they were using his apartment and credits, he let it go. "I wanted to give everyone a chance to wake up."

"I'll start passing out weapons and ammo," said Qin walking over to the table containing the assault rifles. He wasn't sure what the coming hours held for him but he was ready to get it over with. "Everyone will get an assault rifle and five thermal clips. Who wants the extra shotgun?"

"I do," said Tevak grabbing the gun without hesitation. "I'm taking point. The shotgun will come in handy inside the ship."

"Just try not to punch any holes in the hull," scoffed Leim.

The rest of them started to load up. In the meantime, Shia took Tevak aside speaking just above a whisper, "Don't get yourself killed out there."

"Same goes for you. You're coming with us, remember?" Tevak grinned then took her by the hand. "We'll be okay. I promise."

Once everyone was set, they left the apartment. Tevak led the way flanked by Shia and Qin. Lan and Leim followed closely behind. The small band of armed quarians drew a lot of stares from the other Omega species. Even some mercs stepped out of their way. Putting on this show-of-force would undoubtedly bring some unwanted attention from one of the major merc groups. Fortunately, they weren't going to be staying on Omega for much longer.

A/N: The action starts next chapter! Writing romance isn't one of my strong points but I feel it's an essential ingredient for any extensive story.


	4. Chapter 4

Shia peeked out from around the corner of an alleyway toward the docking bay. The large doors were sealed tight as well as guarded by several armed batarians. The only approach was the main road leading up to the bay about thirty yards. There was little in the way of cover aside from a few crates. Quietly she muttered, "Shit."

"What's wrong?" asked Tevak. The rest of quarians were gathered in the alley waiting to make a decision.

"The doors are closed and there are guards," explained Shia.

Lan spoke uneasily, "They must have found the slavers you killed. They're expecting us."

"You didn't hide the bodies?" Leim was beside himself.

"I didn't think about it," said Tevak unapologetically.

Qin went to the corner to have a look for himself. Five against seven weren't terrible odds. Then again, that wasn't counting who ever was inside the docking bay. Turning to Tevak he suggested, "We should get a squad across the street so we can at least put down some crossfire."

"Good idea." Tevak pat Qin on the shoulder. He studied the street and saw another alley ten yards up across the way. The same place he rescued Lan. "Take Leim and Lan to that alley. Shia and I will cover you from here."

"Wait a minute," interrupted Leim. He wasn't about to be told what to do by a young bastard like Tevak. "Who put you in charge? I should be leading the second team."

Before Tevak could answer Shia stepped up and put a finger in Leim's face saying, "He's in charge because he's the only one with initiative around here. All you've done is complain. Sure, you've funded this mission but you're attitude isn't helping. Why don't you just shut up and follow orders!"

For a moment everyone stood around awkwardly silent. Leim was doing a slow burn thinking of something to say but could not. Shia held her ground staring right back at him. Even Tevak was at a loss. He assumed the role of leader but Shia had just solidified it. Qin stood by the corner keeping watch in case one of the slavers heard them arguing.

Lan attempted to break the tension by turning their attention to the task at hand. "We should use tech to soften them up before attacking."

Tevak found his voice and continued discussing the plan. "Alright, I'll hit them with a few tech mines. _Qin's_ squad will cross the street and then we'll fight our way up to the docking bay."

"Good luck," said Qin slapping Tevak on the back. Hugging the corner, he prepared to run along with Lan and Leim.

Tevak brought up his omni-tool, a orange-yellow microframe computer which was the corner stone of the modern age. It flashed up his forearm allowing him to select the weapons menu. A minifacturing fabricator on the hardware portion of the tool could be used to create small mines from scrap. Under electronics, he chose the overload tech mine. This would disrupt any shields the batarians could be wearing. Stepping out from the alley, he fired a mine into the center of the group. A blue electrical explosion popped the shields of the batarians and sent them reeling back.

Qin dashed across the street heading up to the next alley. Putting the rifle to his shoulder he began firing short bursts killing one of the slavers. Lan came in behind him firing wildly. The andrenalin rush from battle was causing her to forget everything she learned in basic training. Leim on the other hand was more at ease. During his time on Omega he had gotten into more than a few firefights. Taking careful aim he was able to land a couple headshots.

"Nice shooting," shouted Tevak. Despite their recent spat, he knew to give credit where credit is due. Moving up along the wall of the street he managed to squeeze into the archway of a door. From there he fired a long burst into another slaver killing him.

The few remaining batarians scrambled for cover. Two of them hid behind a frail crate. The panicked pair fired their rifles over the side without looking. They sprayed bullets all over the street not coming close to hitting anything. The third slaver pressed himself against a side wall seeking protection from a steel pipe vertically running the length of the wall.

Shia moved up and fired a sabotage mine from her omni-tool towards the two batarians behind the crate. A red burst of energy disabled the slavers' weapons causing them to overheat. Tevak stepped out of cover and emptied his rifle at the two targets. Rounds cut through the flimsy crate killing one and wounding the other. The batarian cried out flopping over onto his stomach.

Qin could see his friend unknowingly walking up to the slaver behind the pipe. Acting quickly he shouted, "Tevak! In front of you!"

It was too late. The batarian leaned outward holding up a shotgun. Firing once, he hit Tevak in the chest. Luckily, his light shield caught the blast causing a rippling effect over his body. A second shot, however, popped his shield. By now, Tevak was able to react. He rushed forward grabbing the barrel of the shotgun and shoved it downward just as another shot was fired. The concussion rattled his hand but Tevak held on. This gave Shia enough time to line up a clear shot and take out the batarian.

Shia raced to Tevak's side and looked him over. Frantically she asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah for the most part. My hand is killing me," said Tevak as he rapidly opened and closed his hand. No bones appeared to be broken but a tendon or two might have been ripped. At least he could still pull a trigger. Shia stayed close by and he could see the concern in her eyes. Tevak smiled saying, "Thanks for watching my back. I'll be okay, I swear."

"If you say so." Shia moved on heading up to the docking bay door. The locking mechanism was sealed with a code. Applying some omni-gel from her omni-tool to the lock allowed her to start decoding the system.

"This one is still alive," said Qin as he came upon the wounded batarian behind the shattered crate. The slaver was coughing up blood and writhing on the floor. His torso had been punctured by a few slugs. Qin put his rifle under the batarian's chin then asked, "What should we do with him?"

"Kill him," said Tevak as he loaded another thermal clip into his rifle. "He's no use to us and there's no point in letting him suffer."

"Wait..." gargled the batarian choking on his own blood. Qin didn't listen and pulled the trigger splattering grey matter across the floor.

Lan approached the body staring down at the twitching corpse. Quietly she muttered, "That was a little extreme."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that considering these bastards were about to sell you into slavery," said Qin. He stepped over the body to join Tevak and Shia by the door.

"He was wounded... it just doesn't seem right." Lan couldn't find the words to explain her guilt. Either way it didn't matter; the batarian was dead.

Leim stood in the background watching the other quarians crowded the door. Having Shia get in his face still bothered him. Perhaps living alone on this station all these years had made him bitter and introverted. Teamwork had never been a strong suit of his even before going on pilgrimage. Most of the time he felt he could do things better but no one ever gave him the chance. It was their fault when things went wrong; if only people listened to him.

At last Shia hacked through the lock. The large bay doors began to slowly slide open. Once the doors were open enough to squeeze through they entered the docking bay. The Argo was still inside but it's hangar door was closed. A majority of the crates had been moved, possibly inside the ship. Only a cluster of them remained in the center. No other slavers were in sight.

"What a piece of shit," scoffed Leim. The rusty hull plates and yellowed paint didn't make much of an impression on the rest of them either.

None of that bothered Tevak. All he wanted was his own ship. The prestige of owning your own ship went far in the Migrant Fleet. Smiling wide he said, "All she needs is a little paint."

Qin went ahead looking around the room. "Where is everyone? That couldn't have been it."

As though on cue, a dozen batarians charged out from around the other side of the ship. They fired an assortment of weapons, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and even a rocket launcher. The quarians ducked down behind the cluster of crates. There was barely enough room to hide. They had to compress against each other to keep from getting picked off.

"A damn ambush," breathed Tevak. His back was against the crates facing away from the enemy.

Lan's breathing became labored as high velocity rounds zipped over head. Eyeing the bay door, she asked, "Think we can make it back to the street?"

"No, we'd be gunned down before getting half way," muttered Qin.

"This was smart," grumbled Leim.

"Don't start," said Shia sharply.

Tevak leaned out for a second to check out the battlefield. All of the batarians were standing in front of their ship without any cover. However, their firepower was heavy enough to not need it. Turning to the rest of his group he came up with an idea. "Listen, I want everyone to load up a sabotage mine. They're just standing out in the open. If we can knock out their weapons then we can return fire."

"I won't argue with that," said Shia while selecting the sabotage option on her omni-tool.

Tevak got to his feet without sticking his head up. When the rest of them had their omni-tools ready he gave the word, "Now!"

The batarians were hit with five sabotage mines all at once. Red bursts of electricity wreaked havoc on their weapons. The quarians jumped up with their assault rifles and quickly began shooting down any batarian foolish enough to not run. Some of them had shields which preserved them long enough to switch to secondary weapons.

"We've got them now!" yelled Qin as seven of the twelve slavers fell dead.

Tevak produced his shotgun and with much excitement he exclaimed, "Let's finish this business and return home to the Flotilla!"

The remaining batarians weren't giving up either. One of them produced a grenade and chucked it at the quarians. The resulting explosion knocked out their shields. The others laid down suppressing fire to keep them pinned behind the crates again.

The rate of fire wasn't nearly as intense as before. Tevak was able to pop up for a second and fire a shotgun blast. The spread shot hit a batarian in the chest. His shields hadn't fully recovered allowing a few slugs to pierce his lungs. Shia hit the slavers with an overload mine taking out their half-recovered shields. Lan gathered her courage and managed to gun down one of the batarians. Qin and Leim stood up together combining their firepower to bring down the last three slavers.

"We did it!" Shia grabbed Tevak hugging him tight.

"Not yet," said Tevak returning the hug. "There still might be more inside."

"Nothing we can't handle," grinned Qin feeling nearly invincible.

"Let's get that ship open then," said Leim walking up to the rusty vessel.

Shia found an external control panel. Decryption was something she had training in but not extensively. Taking out a utility knife she wedged open the back of the keyboard. Staring at the complex circuits she frowned saying, "I don't know if I can do this."

"Does anyone else here know decryption?" asked Qin. The others shuffled their feet looking at each other.

A very large krogan dressed in red armor walked into the room followed by a dozen vorcha. They had a group of twenty slaves tied together following behind them. The slaves were a mixed group of quarians, humans, and turians. The krogan's name was Garm, leader of Omega's Blood Pack mercenary group. Today he was going to sell some slaves for profit. Upon seeing all of the slavers dead he roared, "What the hell is going on here?"

Tevak grabbed Shia's shoulder telling her very directly, "Get that door open."

"Kill the quarians!" ordered Garm. His pack of vorcha jumped into the fray firing at will.

Now it was the quarians who were left out in the open. Worst of all, these blood thirsty bastards knew how to shoot. Everyone spread out either kneeling or laying on the floor to make themselves a smaller target. The vorcha had no shields but their ability to withstand pain and injury made for a difficult enemy.

Shia slapped the last of her omni-gel onto the circuits but the doors wouldn't budge. High velocity rounds whipped by her with shocking regularity. It took everything she had to keep cool under the circumstances. Making calculated adjustments to the circuitry, she started to break down the security system.

Qin was taking heavy fire from the vorcha. When his shields popped he got up trying to run. A round hit him in the back of the knee blowing it out. He collasped to the floor screaming and holding his leg.

"Qin, just hold on buddy." Tevak took aim and fired five blasts from his shotgun sending many of the vorcha ducking behind the crates. When the thermal clip ejected he slapped in another then repeated. With only three clips left he wouldn't be able to keep up this rate of fire.

Lan ran over to Qin kneeling in front of his body to protect him. Like Tevak, she started laying down a steady stream of fire at the vorcha. Leim did the same moving closer to Tevak to coordinate their fire. A few vorcha fell over dead but the quarians were taking a beating. Tevak lost his shields as did Lan. A second later a round pierced her hip making a dull thud as metal slammed into flesh.

"I got the door open!" Shia took a breath when the lock turned green. The gears began to whine as the door came open. Best of all, now she could help in returning fire.

The wound in Lan's hip was bleeding profusely. Despite that, she was able to help Qin to his feet. Relying on each other, they limped into the Argo's hangar. Looking over her shoulder she shouted to the others, "Guys lets go!"

Tevak turned in time to see Shia's shields pop. A heavy concussive shot from Garm's shotgun followed immediately striking her in the abdomen. She took one step then slumped over and did not move. Tevak scrambled to her crying out, "Shia, Shia! Leim, c'mon help me pick her up."

Leim grabbed a hold of Shia's legs while Tevak took her by the arms. Together they brought her inside the hangar setting her down on the floor. Lan closed the door before the vorcha could get inside. Shia was a mess. Shrapnel had left over a dozen deep wounds across her abdomen. Blood soaked the tattered black garments turning them into a slick oily color.

The vorcha started clawing and beating the hull with their fists. This startled Lan who was now becoming delirious from infection as well as blood loss. "They're going to destroy the ship!"

"They can't get at us, just relax," groaned Qin. He was leaning against the hull standing on his good leg. "We have to get back to the Flotilla."

Leim interjected, "Hold on, they have quarian slaves out there. We can't just leave them behind."

Tevak held onto Shia's hand. There was no response but he could see she was still breathing. Looking up at Leim he said, "Shia is going to die if we don't leave now."

"Look at her. She's already dead," spat Leim.

Tevak stood up furious. "You and I are the only ones not wounded. How do you expect us to beat those mercenaries?"

"I don't know," admitted Leim. "There has to be a way. What about you Lan? You have to agree with me on this."

Lan stayed quiet. She knew she could still fight if it came down to that. How well or how long she didn't know. Those slaves deserved some rescue effort. However, it was easier to stay silent and let someone else decide.

"Tevak," Qin grunted. The pain in his knee was becoming more intense. It wasn't enough to cloud his loyalty to his friend. "I'm with you, whatever you decide."

"We're going back to the Flotilla," said Tevak firmly. He switched to his rifle and started to head to the ship's command deck.

Leim grabbed Tevak by the arm and spoke solemnly, "If you do this you're condemning our fellow quarians to slavery or death."

Tevak jerked his arm from Leim's grip speaking through his teeth, "I know... and I don't care. We're taking off."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. At this time it's nearly time for me to get in line to pick up my ME3CE from a Gamestop midnight launch. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up but there are only one or two left for this story.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later Tevak was sitting in the medical bay's waiting room aboard the Defranz. The small room was full of quarians squeezing in where they could. At the time, a flu virus was spreading through the ship. Parents, wives, husbands, and children waited to be treated or to hear news of their sick loved ones. The tension was palpable. A crying infant nearby caused him to shift around in his seat. With so many people in one room it created an uncomfortable warm and humid atmosphere. The fact that they were all breathing the same air didn't help either. Hopefully his suit's respitory filter was doing it's job.

When the doors to the emergency room opened everyone's head turned to the nurse walking out. She held a data pad and had a white arm band marking her as a hospital employee. Uniforms weren't widely used as they made it nearly impossible to tell one person from the next. She spoke with a clear robotic tone, a sign she had become accustomed to the suffering around her. "Will the Hune family please come with me?"

Two quarians, a mother and father, got up and followed the nurse into the emergency room. They both wore similar looking suits colored purple and black. This was a common practice among spouses. Even though their masks hid their faces a sense of dread emanated from them.

Currently the Argo was on lockdown. Crews worked around the clock scrubbing and cleansing the ship before allowing it to join the Migrant Fleet. The interior was being gutted as well. The decks would be fitted to support a small civilian population as well as military personel. In all, about five hundred souls would be crammed into the ship.

Tevak hoped that the ship would be made into a purely military vessel but he had no say in the decision. Coming back to the fleet in a batarian slaver ship had nearly gotten them all killed. It took quite a bit of persuasion to let them dock. For instance, no one could remember the exact phrase to allow passage. 'Alone we search the stars...' was all Tevak remembered. Luckily Qin was able to finish it before the fleet could open fire.

Shia barely survived the journey. Heavy use of medi-gel and other anti-biotics did little more than to stave off death. Life signs were so low that the medics were hesitant to even bring her aboard. An order came down from the chain of command overriding protocol and saving her life.

"Tevak'Semis? You can see her now," announced the nurse.

Snapping out of his self-induced trance, he jumped up eager to leave the cramped waiting room. Before entering the ER he had to pass through a decontamination screening. The patient rooms were tiny compartments individually sealed air-tight to protect against the spread of infection. This also helped doctors perform surgery without fear of contaminating the patient.

Passing by one room Tevak could see the Hune family through a glass door. Both parents were weeping as a doctor pulled a sheet over what looked to be their child. It wasn't uncommon for quarian parents to lose children to sickness. A sight Tevak thought he could never get used to.

The nurse directed him down a long corridor full of small patient rooms. Shia's room was all the way at the back. A faint smell of rubbing alcohol filled the air. In this part of the hospital the metallic walls and floors were shiny and spotless. There was no way anything microscopic could live in this area.

Upon reaching Shia's room a large important looking quarian stepped out of the door. He had white and blue garb along with an insignia patch designating him as a marine commander. Immediately he snatched Tevak's hand shaking it gruffly. Speaking in a deep voice he introduced himself, "You must be Tevak. I'm commander Xey, Shia's father."

"Good to meet you sir," said Tevak as the blood was squeezed from his hand.

"Thank you for saving my daughter. Looks like she's going to pull through," said Xey.

Tevak decided to let the fact that she was hurt following his plan slide. No need to wind up in the hospital too. "I'm just glad we got back in time."

"You're a good man Tevak. I don't care what they say about you." Xey slapped the young quarian on the shoulder.

The commander's words caught Tevak off guard prompting him to ask, "What are they saying?"

"Some believe you should have stayed and rescued those slaves. One of your crew, Leim I think, claims you abandoned dozens of quarians," explained Xey. "As far as I know, no charges have been brought against you."

Tevak's face and hands went cold. All this time he had thought that he was a hero for bringing in a large ship. Instead, people thought he left other quarians to a life of slavery. The possibility of charges being brought against him were unthinkable. He tried to defend his actions but found himself unable to speak.

Xey could sense the boy's silent uneasiness. Changing subjects he turned to his daughter's room saying, "You can take a look at her through the glass. Only her mother and I can go in as a precaution against infection. You understand I'm sure."

"Yeah," muttered Tevak. At the moment his feet felt like they weighed fifty pounds. Trudging up to the glass he could see Shia laying on a soft looking bed. Her stomach was exposed and was laced with thick bloody scars full of stitching. Shia's helmet was off but her face was still covered by various tubes and a rebreather. Quietly Tevak murmured, "Get well soon."

Qin'Teemba sat with Lan'Molo at a small table on board the Iktomi's 'dance club'. The word club is used loosely. Once a week the ship's mess hall was converted into a bar and the tables were pushed aside to make a dance floor. Humans might think it resembled a junior high dance, except with alcohol.

"Doesn't quite stand up to Afterlife," scoffed Qin. His knee was bandaged up but was healing quite well.

"Yeah, it doesn't smell like filthy aliens and asari whores," said Lan with a playful grin. The bullet wound in her hip was easily repaired since it didn't hit anything other than muscle.

"Asari whores add character," grinned Qin. He took a sip from a sealed container that was full of a purple alcoholic beverage. A straw protuding from the container allowed him to easily drink it through his suit.

The place was dimly lit and packed full of quarians from all over the ship. Only support staff and essential crew were forced to miss the party. However, scheduals were made so that everyone got a chance to go; if not this week, then next week. The bar area was especially crowded. Alcohol is one cure for boredom while stuck aboard a ship. A common stereotype is that quarians cannot drink heavily. The quarians' immune system's defense against viruses, bacteria, and toxins, does not tolerate excess amounts of alcohol in the blood stream. As though trying to break the stereotype, many guests would drink to the point of vomiting.

"Honestly, I'm just glad to have made it out of that mess in one piece," sighed Lan. "Have you heard from Tevak?"

"He's on the Defranz right now looking after Shia," explained Qin. His eyes stayed fixated on the dance floor where many women were dancing. There was certainly a lot of 'movement' to be ogled.

"I hope she's okay. You know, I lost my father that way." Lan's voice became quiet. It was an odd admission to make.

What she said caught Qin off guard. Turning his attention to her he asked, "What do you mean?"

"He was killed by the geth about ten years ago. He was part of an expedition into the Perseus Veil. They were trying to study the geth but something went wrong. I don't know how exactly, most of the team made it back, including my father... days later he died in the hospital." Lan sat back and took a large swig of her drink. The taste was strong yet sweet, definitly a girl's drink.

"I'm sorry to hear that Lan. I can't say I've lost anyone close to me," said Qin taking her hand. "Do you remember him well?"

"Yeah, through pictures at least. Mother talks about him a lot. It's been so long though. I was just a kid when he passed. Sometimes I'm not sure which memories are true or which ones my mind made up to fill in the blanks." Lan finished off her drink with a relieved sigh, "Aside from my mother, I've never talked about this."

"I'm glad you did. I could tell you about the time my pet died but it's not the same." Qin smiled when Lan began to giggle. There was something electric between them drawing the two together. Perhaps it was just meant to be or they were simply drunk. Standing up, Qin said, "C'mon, let's go dance."

"Are you sure? You're leg hasn't healed all the way," protested Lan.

"I'll just limp around and flail my arms. I want to see you in action." Qin pulled Lan up bringing her out onto the floor with everyone else. Together they danced as best as they could despite their injuries.

Being back in the Migrant Fleet felt odd for Leim'Za. Ten years had gone by. Most of the people he knew before going on pilgrimage were now married with kids. Others, like him, either never returned or had been killed. Part of him started to regret coming back. It was as though he had never left. Worse yet, he didn't have much to show for his ten year hiades. The exception being the 'shared' victory of capturing the slaver ship.

At the moment Leim was being 'detained' in the Defranz lounge as the higher ups figured out what to do with him. It wasn't too bad though. Others were intrigued that a fellow quarian could live in such a hostile place as Omega. For a decade no less. People would buy him drinks asking about his time on the lawless station.

Leim became quite the story teller. He explained how he struggled to survive by only his nerve and wits. The number of aliens he killed only seemed to differentiate upon how many drinks he had. Leim's favorite story to tell was how he saved Tevak's inexperienced group from certain death. He explained how he wanted to save the quarian slaves but Tevak threatened to take off without him. An exaggeration, he knew, but it was neccessary to make Tevak look bad in order to advance himself.

In time things would fall into place for him. The admiralty board will choose him to captain the Argo. He was the obvious choice afterwall. Older, wiser, and a proven survivor. Leim only needed to bide his time.

Later that night Tevak stayed in his assigned room. Due to the lack of space aboard the Defranz, he had to share a room with a couple other quarians. They had returned from pilgrimage as well but to him they were strangers. Getting to sleep hadn't been easy. For one, his bunk was too small and the room barely allowed the three of them to coexist. It was a temporary solution until they were assigned a ship.

Shia being in critical condition combined with people thinking Tevak selfishly abandoned slaves, left his mind buzzing. Too many questions and doubts fluttered around his head. While staring into the bottom of the bunk above him he continuously put himself back in that situation. Carefully he tried to think of something that they could've done differently. Regardless of how he might have saved those slaves, the fact of the matter is, he didn't.

Why Leim was going around running Tevak's name into the ground was beyond him. From the very begining they didn't get along. Perhaps it was their age difference. Maybe Leim thought he was too ambitious. Whatever the reason, he wouldn't find out by driving himself mad.

Earlier in the day Tevak had visited his parents and told them everything that happened on the pilgrimage. Both parents were engine mechanics and were often embroiled by their work. Tevak never brought up the slaves and his parents didn't ask. After a couple hours of visitation, they just about shooed him out the door. They hadn't seen each other in months but that's how it had always been. Tevak felt no resentment towards them the way most kids would. Work came first, a sentiment he actually admired about them.

When the hours of the night shift became very late, Tevak fell asleep by shear exhaustion.

A/N: Why do self-inserts get the most reviews? Dr Death picks up his M-16 and begins firing at bystanders from his bedroom window while screaming, "WHY?" After emptying his clip he sits back down and finishes his author's note:

Okay, I swear I had the hospital scene planned before playing ME3. At least one more chapter to go, maybe two. My main goal here was to deepen this set of characters so when I introduce more in the coming sequels it'll be easier to remember who's who.


	6. Chapter 6

One month later, Tevak'Semis was ordered to appear before the Admiralty Board on the Defranz. In the scale of things his situation had little bearing on the fleet. So the meeting was to be held in a conference room. There was a small rectangular waiting room with metal benches on each side. When Tevak entered this room he was surprised to see Qin and Lan sitting together. Relieved to see some friendly faces he asked, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Same as you I suppose," answered Qin. He had his arm around Lan's waist holding her close. Since hanging out at the 'club' they had grown close. Recently they had even linked suits.

"We got a summons to be here. They're most likely going to make a decision about our ship," explained Lan.

Tevak took a seat next to Qin and let out a sigh. "I thought I was about to be exiled or something over those damned slaves."

Qin shook his head saying, "It's all that bastard Leim's fault."

At that moment the door whooshed open. Shia hobbled into the room followed closely by her father Commander Xey. Easing down beside Tevak she greeted her friends with a weak wave of her hand. They were shocked to see her out of the hospital, much less up walking around. The commander stayed close to his daughter. Gently he asked, "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Yeah, dad it's fine," whispered Shia. Everything she did seemed to involve her abdomen in some way. Just breathing caused sharp pain as her diaphragm pushed down on her abs.

"Hi Shia," Tevak grimaced, feeling uncomfortable seeing her in so much pain.

Shia responded with a nod, not wanting to speak more than what was neccessary. Aside from the obvious physical wound, she was also suffering from a light fever. To her, the temperature inside her suit felt extremely high yet her skin was clammy. The doctor strongly suggested staying in bed but Shia wanted to see first hand what the board decided.

The last member of their group, Leim, finally arrived. Immediately Tevak stood up and shoved him into the wall seething, "You son of bitch!"

Commander Xey seized Tevak by the arm pulling him away. His voice was angry as he spoke, "Stop it! Both of you. I will not have you brawling around in here. My daughter is in fragile condition."

Leim brushed himself off keeping his ever calm and annoyed deameanor. Sarcastically he muttered, "That's Tevak for you. Never taking other people into consideration."

"We had no chance against that krogan and you know that," interjected Qin.

"Is that what you tell yourself at night?" spat Leim.

"Knock off the act already," yelled Tevak. "What's your game here?"

Before Leim could answer, the door to the conference room opened. A guard entered stating, "The admiralty board is ready for you."

Everyone shuffled into the conference room without saying a word. Making a scene in front of the board would not bode well for anyone. Tevak, Shia, Qin, Lan, and Leim all sat on one side of a long rectangular table. Commander Xey remained standing behind his daughter as before. Three admirals were seated on the opposite side, Admiral Rael'Zorah, Daro'Xen, and Shala'Raan.

"Let's make this quick so we can get on to more important matters," muttered Rael. It set the tone for the meeting as being somewhat informal. If not for the matter of integrating a new ship into the fleet, the board wouldn't be bothering with this mess.

Daro spoke next, "We are convening here today to induct the Argo into the fleet. Tevak'Semis and Leim'Za have both requested to captain the ship."

Shala picked up a datapad and looked it over for a second before delivering their judgement, "The board has decided that Tevak is far too young and too inexperienced for such a duty. Your actions on Omega only prove that."

Tevak started to protest, "But it's our ship..."

Rael slammed his fist down on the table. "Don't interrupt us!" If there was one thing he couldn't stand it was people without respect for authority.

After clearing her throat, Shala continued, "Leim has also been denied as being judged unfit for such a high post. Any questions?"

"Yes," hissed Leim, "What makes you think I'm not fit for captainship?"

Daro laughed at this. "You took ten years to complete your pilgrimage. Even now, you did it on the backs of these young ones. Hardly what I'd call captain material."

Leim sank into his seat feeling embarassed for himself.

"So what is to come of our ship?" asked Tevak who now felt sick to his stomach.

Rael answered him, "The Migrant Fleet will take possession of the ship by imminent domain."

"That's not fair!" Tevak jumped up pointing a finger into Rael's face.

"Sit down!" shouted Rael as he stood from his seat. He wasn't about to be shouted at by a juvenile quarian. When Xey put a firm hand on Tevak's shoulder, he obeyed and returned to his seat.

"Now if there are no more theatrics," began Shala, "I believe we have some good news. Based on your test scores in school and your experience during your pilgrimage... some of you qualify for special training."

"What kind of training?" asked Commander Xey.

"Shia for instance," said Rael, "Due to her high marks before her pilgrimage, is eligible for flight school. With time, she can even earn the title captain."

"That's great Shia," said Cmdr Xey with some pride.

"As for the rest of you..." continued Rael, "Your actions on Omega were bold and for the most part, well executed. Special forces training is available to you if you want it. Otherwise, we'll assign you common ship duties."

"I'll take it," answered Tevak immediately. It wasn't what he wanted but it was a start. The others agreed to the offer as well. Otherwise they might get stuck mining asteroid belts for the rest of their lives.

"Then this meeting is over," announced Shala.

Leim left the room first walking at a fast pace. Bitterness toward the Board's decision filled him. Tevak came out a second later followed closely by Qin. They saw Leim storming off down the hallway. For a moment, Tevak thought about chasing after him but decided it was best to let it go.

"Don't you want to kick his ass?" asked Qin.

"Yes, but what difference would it make? Sounds like the Board had no intention of giving us that ship regardless of what he said," explained Tevak. "Fighting him would only cause me more headaches."

"I guess you're right," admitted Qin.

"So what's next for us?" asked Lan while walking up to Qin.

"Boot camp I assume, I wonder if we'll get to train together," said Tevak.

Shia hobbled out of the conference room with her father holding her by the arm. She went to Tevak speaking in a raspy voice, "Well, I think I've had enough for one day. Wish I could stay, but I should go back to the hospital."

"That's a good idea," said Lan, her voice full of worry.

Tevak took Shia by the hand saying, "I'm sorry how things turned out."

"It's not your fault," she said lightly squeezing his hand. "I'll get better and soon I'll be flying. You'll see."

Commander Xey urged his daughter to keep moving. "We should be going. There will be time for chit-chat later."

"Take care of yourself," said Qin as the commander led his daughter back to the hospital.

"Shall we go get drunk before starting our new careers?" offered Shia looping one arm in Qin's.

"Sounds like fun to me," mumbled Tevak while watching Shia leave.

"C'mon Tevak," said Qin slapping his friend on the shoulder. "We've at least got _something_ to celebrate."

The trio went down to one of the ship's bars to drink a toast to their future. With the geth attacking Eden Prime, it was likely the future would be full of danger.

A/N: This is the last chapter for this story. Not sure when I'll start working on the second installment. It will definitly be longer though. Mostly wanted to establish my main characters with this story.


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